TheCable

Ali Ndume, majority leader of the senate, says the upper chamber of the national assembly should not be blamed over the delay in the consideration of the 2017 budget.

Speaking on the floor of the red chamber on Thursday, Ndume said the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which the executive sent “is empty”.

The MTEF consists of the current and medium-term costs of existing policy. It also considers the matching of these costs with available resources.

Udoma Udoma, minister of budget and national planning, had been quoted as saying that the national assembly was to be blamed for the failure of the executive to submit the budget.

He reportedly said the legislators had not considered the MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

But Ndume faulted the comment attributed to Udoma.

The lawmaker explained that after examining the MTEF and FSP, he wrote to Udoma on October 19, inviting him for further clarifications, but he allegedly refused to honour the invitation.

“The minister stated that the suspension of the debate of MTEF FSP had stopped the ministry’s budget to the senate,” Ndume said.

“We received MTEF on 30th September instead of it being submitted not later than the 1st September. We went through copies of MTEF and FSP, we spoke to some experts – MTEF and FSP document is empty and does not contain anything.”

Contributing to the debate, Albert Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom north east, said when he saw the publication he called Udoma who told him that he was quoted out of context.

“This has gone to incite the public against the national assembly. The minister is a senator and knows the workings of the national assembly,” he said.

Also speaking, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, said the national assembly was ready to take the budget any time.

“It is important to let Nigerians know that we are ready to take the budget anytime,” he said.

Commenting on the matter, Bukola Saraki, the senate president, said: “This is very important which is why the leader brought it, it is not an issue of blame games.”

On Thursday, Zainab Ahmed, minister of state for budget and national planning, said the budget was ready, but that her ministry was waiting for the approval of the MTEF before the proposal would be presented to the national assembly.

“The 2017 budget is ready, but we need the MTEF to be approved so we can make adjustments if there is a need for‎ an adjustment,” she said at the‎ second presidential economic communication workshop in Abuja.